Rotary engine.



PATENTED APR. 5, 1904.

H. A. BENSON. ROTARY ENGINE.

APPLIUATION FILED AUG. 1o.- 1903.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

n0 MGDIJL.

lNVENTOR.

.H .mkrmw No. 756,568. y PATENTED APR. 5, 1904. H. A. BENSON.

ROTARY ENGINE.

APPLIOATION FILED AUG. 1o, 190s.

No MODEL. 2 SHEETS-SHEET z.

` then specifically pointed out in the claims here- UNITED STATES .Patented April 5, 1904.

HEZEKIAH A. BENSON, OF BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT.

ROTARY ENGINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 756,568, dated April 5, 14904.

Application filed August 10, 1903. Serial No. 168.977. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom it 70u14/ concern.-

i Be it known that I, HEZEKIAH A; BENSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Bridgeport, county of Fairfield, State of Connecticut, have invented a new and useful Rotary Engine, of which the followingl is a specification. A

This invention relates to the class of rotary engines illustrated and described in my fornier Letters Patent,No. 679,937, dated August 6, 1901, and has for its object to improve the details of construction, more especially the valve mechanism, so as to increase the power of the engine and reduce the consumptionof steam by providing that steam can only enter the cylinderswhen the iioats are in position to receive the full force of the steam the instant it enters the cylinders and to be acted on by the steam the full period between the entrance of the steam into the cylinders and the exhaust.

It is a further object of the invention to produce a construction 4of valve mechanism that will enable me to use the steam expansivelym that is, to cut off the entrance of steam into the cylinders before the exhaust commencesthe steam acting expansively in each cylinder during the latter portion of each stroke.

Vith these and other objects in view the in-V vention consists in certain constructions and in certain parts, improvements, and combinations, which will be hereinafter described and unto appended. 4

In the accompanying drawings, formingra part of this specification, Figure 1 represents a vertical section through the casing and through the valve mechanism on the line l 1 in Figs. 2 and 3 looking toward .the left; Fig. 2, an elevation with the end plate removed; Fig. 3, a transverse section of the casing, pistons, and valve mechanism, the steam being cut oi; and Fig. 4 is a detail view, partly inv section, illustrating the construction and mode of operation of the controlling mechanism.

'The casing is composed of a central casting A, having a base a and provided with flanges i to which an end casting C and the end plate E are bolted, the other end casting, which I have `be described.

indicated by B, lying within the central castis occupied by three chambered castings 10, .which are identical with each other andare separated from each other by partition-plates 11, said plates 11 dividing the space into three cylinder-chambers, in each of which is located a pair of coacting pistons, which will presently The three chambers are provided in order that threepairs of pistons may be located therein, with their iioats projecting indifferent radial directions, so that a constant and uniform pressure is exerted in use to drive the power-shaft, the piston-floats of the several pairs of pistons being s'o arranged relatively to each other that full power of the steam is being exerted at all times on the powershaft, as in my said former patent referred to. As' the arrangement of the pistons'and their floats forms no portion of my present invention, the said arrangement has not been illustrated in detail. `The castings are shown as having spaces 12 formed therein for the sake of lightness.

13 denotes'shafts journaled" in the end castings and the partition-plates, which carry the pistonsl, each having a float 16 and arecess 17 to permit the oatof the opposite pistonV `to pass. wheels 14, lying in the chamber 21 between These shafts are connected by gearend casting B and end plate D.

18 denotes oscillating sleeves lying in chambers formed therefor in castings 10, the end castings, and Apartition-plates 11. Each of these sleeves is provided with ports19, lying in line with each other. The oscillating sleeves 18 inclose fixed sleeves 5l, which are secured in the castings in any suitable manner, as by pins 52, whichpass through the castings and through slots 53 in the oscillating sleeves and engage the fixed sleeves, as clearly shown in Fig. l. The fixed sleeves are provided -with ports 54, also in line with each other and adapted to register with the ports in the oscillating sleeves. In the drawings I have shown a form in which the oscillating sleeves are controlled by a lever as illustrating the principle It is wholly immaterial,

of the invention.

however, so far as the principle is concerned whether the oscillating sleeves are controlled by a lever or by a governor.

24 denotes a controlling-lever which is carried by a rock-shaft 25, journaled in a'stuffing-box 41 in end plate D. At the inner end of the rock-shaft is a hub 26, which receives a stud 27, projecting from endcasting B and simultaneously in either direction, as may be required in starting or reversing.

Mounted within each fixed sleeve 51 is a tubular valve 30, -open at one end and provided with ports 31, one for each of the three cylinders, the said three ports being located equidistant from each other spirally and adapted to register successively with the corresponding ports in the fixed sleeves-that is to say, if there are three pistons the center of each port in the valve is located one-third the circumference of the valve in advance of the port in the rear and behind the port in ad- Vance, orl vice versa. Each of the valves is provid ed with a stem 34, which passes through end casting B, toy which a gear-wheel 23 is secured, each of said gear-wheels 23 meshing with one of the gear-wheels 14, as clearly shown in Fig. 2, so that the valves will in use becontinuously'rotated in the same direction.

The power-shaft is shown asA in alinement with the lower shaft 13 and may be formed integral therewith or coupled thereto. It is shown as passing through a stufling-box 41 in endplate D.

42 denotes the steam-pipe, and 43 the exhaust-pi pe. Live-steam passages 45 lead from steam-pipe 42, and live steam passes therethrough into the open ends of the valves.

46 denotes exhaust-chambers in castings'lO and the partition-plates, and 47 exhaust-steam passages leading from the exhaust-chambers to exhaust-pipe 43. The walls of castings 10 are provided with ports 50, through which steam alternately passes from the valve-chambers to the piston-chambers in taking steam, as at the right in Fig. 4, and from the pistonchambers to the valve-chambers in exhausting, as at the left in Fig. 4, and with ports 59 leading from the valve-chambers into exhaustchambers 46.

The operation is briefly as follows: When the controlling-lever lis in the vertical or intermediate position, steam is shut ofi. To start the engine in either direction, the controlling-lever is swung toward the right or left, as may be required, to give the desired direction of rotation to the power shaft, Steam from passages 45 enters the open ends of the valves and passes through ports 31 in the valves, 54 in the fixed sleeves, 19 in the oscillating sleeves, and 50 in castings 10 into the piston-chambers. It should be borne in mind that the steam enters the cylinder-chambers successively, thereby insuring that the full power of the steam is at all times acting to drive the power-shaft. The position of one of the valves and the corresponding oscillating sleeve in taking steam is clearly illustrated at the right in Fig. 4. The exhaust is from the piston-chambers through ports 50 in castings 10, 19 in the oscillating sleeves, and 59.

in castings 10 into exhaust-chambers A46 and thence through passages 47 to exhaust-pipe 43, as is clearly shown at the left in Fig. 4. It will be noted that exhaust-ports 59 are out of line with ports 54 in the fixed sleeves, the passage of the steam in exhausting being therefore outside of' the fixed sleeves. The vitally important feature of the present in vention is the interposition of the fixed sleeves between the valves and the oscillating sleeves. It will be noted that the ports 54 in thesel sleeves are out of alinement with the steamports 50. In order to take steam therefore, the oscillating sleeves must be placed in such aposition that the ports 19 in the oscillating sleeves will register both with the ports 54 in the fixed sleeves and the ports 50,1eading into the pistonchambers, as at the right in Fig. 4. In Fig. 3 I have illustrated a position of the parts when the steam is shut off-that is, a position in which no steam is being taken in the piston-chamber in view. The operative parts are s0 adjusted and timed relatively to each other that steam can only enter any of the piston-chambers just after the iioat in that chamber has passed the corresponding port 50, so that the full force of the steam will commence instantly to act on the float in that chamber and will continue to act thereon either'through the continued entrance of live steam or expansively until the exhaust commences. It must be borne in mind that sleeves 18 do not oscillate except through movement of the controllinglever or a governor should one be used in lieu of a controlling-lever. The valves, however, are constantly in rotation when the engine is in use. The amount of steam, therefore, that can enter the piston-chambers during each rotation of the valves is determined by the position of the oscillating sleeves. To reverse at any time, the operator simply moves the controlling-lever in the opposite directionthat is, past the mid or inoperative position.

Having thus described my invention, i I claim- 1. In an engine of the character described the combination with rotatingpistons and rotating valves provided with ports equidistant IOO IIO

the combination with rotary pistons,.rotary valves and oscillatory sleeves, of means for oscillating said sleeves, for the purpose set forth, and fixed sleeves lying intermediate the oscillatory sleves and the jvalves, said valves, fixed sleeves and oscillatory sleeves being provided with ports for the passage of steam.

3. In an engine of the character described Athe combination with. rotary pistons, rotary valves and oscillatory sleeves havingv arms `57 extending therefrom, of a rock-shaft carrying a controlling-lever and arms 29, links connecting said arms 29 'and 57 wherebythe sleeves may be oscillated, and fixed sleeves'lying intermediatethe valves and the oscillatory Y sleeves said oscillatory sleeves, fixed sleeves and valves being provided with ports for the passage of steam.

4. In an engine of the 'character described the combination with rotary pistons, rotary valves, and oscillatory sleeves having arms 57 extending therefrom, of a rock-shaft carry'- ing a controlling-lever and having a hub, 26, a hub 55 carried by hub 26 and having arms 29, extending therefrom, axed stud on which hub 26 is mounted to rotate and which is provided with a groove and a set-screw passing through the hubs and engaging thegroove.

5. In a rotary engine the combination with rotary pistons, rotary valves open at the ends to take steam and oscillatory sleeves, of fixed sleeves intermediate the oscillatory sleeves and the valves; said 'valves and oscillatory and fixed sleeves having steam-ports and means for supplying steam to the open ends -of the valves.

6. In a rotary engine the combination with a casing' comprising a central casting, end ycastings and an-end plate, of rotary pistons having shafts extending through one of the end castings, one of which is the power-shaft,

gear-wheels by which said shafts are connect- 5 ed, rotary valves having stems extending through one of the end castings andcarrying gear-Wheels meshing with one of the other gear wheels, oscillatory sleeves and fixed sleeves lying between the valves and the os- 5 cillatory sleeves, said valves and fixed and oscillatory sleeves being provided with ports for the passage of steam.

7. In a rotary engine the combination with a casing comprising two end castings and an 6 end plate, rotary pistons and valves Vin the casing and having shafts or stems projecting through one of the castings and geared together, of oscillatory sleeves, controlling mech anism therefor and fixed sleeves lying inter- 6 mediate the valves and the oscillatory sleeves, said valves being open at their -ends to take steam and said valves, fixed sleeves and oscillatory sleeves being provided with ports for` the passage of steam. 7

8. In an engine of the character described the combination with a casing comprising two Aend castings and an end plate, rotary pistons and rotary valves in the casing and havingl shafts or stems projecting through one end 7 casting and geared together, of oscillatory sleeves which extend through one of the end castings, a controlling-lever and intermediate connections for oscillating the sleeves and fixed sleeves inclosing the valves on which the os-v 8 cillatory sleeves are mounted.

9. In an engine f the character described the combination with a plurality of independf ent castings each having piston, valve and exhaust chambers and ports leading from the `8 valve-'chambers to the piston-chambers and from the valve-chambers to the exhaust-chambers, of rotary pistons in the pistonechambers and inthe valve-chambers rotary Valves, oscillatory sleeves and fixed sleeves intermedi- 9 `ate the valves and the oscillatory sleeves.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HEZEKIAH A. BENSON.

Witnesses:

A. M. Woos'rER, S. W. ATHERTON. 

